Combination level and grade-finder.



B. J. COLLINS.

COMBINATION LEVEL AND GRADE FINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR-15.1918.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET B. J. COLLINS.

COMBINATION LEVEL AND GRADE FINDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1918.

1 300,8 1 8 u Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

2 SHEET'SSHEET 2- ATTORNEY BENJAMIN J. COLLINS, SUPPLY, OKLAHOMA.

COMBINATION LEVEL AND GRADE-FINDER.

l more.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, BENJAMIN J. COLLINS,

, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Supply, in the county ofWoodward and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combination Levels'and Grade-Finders, of which thefollowin is a specification.

One 0 ject of the present invention is to provide new and usefulimprovements in devices employed by mechanics and engineers in theconstruction of buildings, and in readily determining the angles andlengths to which rafters and other timbers are to be cut, and also inascertaining whether various objects are out of plumb.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can beemployed to advantage by road builders and others in determining gradesand levels and the directions of structures and other objects.

Another object is to increase the accuracy and efficiency of devices ofthis nature and j also increase their scope and utility.

In the accompanying drawing, 1 have illustrated'the preferred embodimentof theinvention, but it is to be understood that the invention is notnecessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape,proportions, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which fairlyfall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

In said drawing. Figure 1 is a broken side elevation partly in sectionof the device; Fig. .2 is a vertical cross section on line 1I-II of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a disk employed in carrying outthe invention; Fig. 4 is abroken plan view of the device; Fig. 5 is anirregular horizontal section on line V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a brokenplan view of the disk disclosed by Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is an elevation of aring; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a glass plate; and Fig. 9 is a sideelevation of an indicator.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a stock 1 consisting of wood ormetal or a combination of both as preferred, and of about the same sizeas an ordinary carpenters level. A fixed tubular member 3 extendsvertically through said stock 1 at a point, approximately, midwaybetween the ends thereof and has a tubular member 4 journaled therein.The fixed tubular member 3 is provided at its upper end with an annularflange (3, having radial graduations 7 thereon to enact with radialgraduations 8 on a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed April 15, 1918. Serial No. 228,707.

connected by hinges 15 and 16 to shallow inetal frames 18 and 19,respectively, countersunk in the top of the stock as disclosed byFig. 1. The front sight 12 has an aperture 22 provided with cross-wires23, while the rear sight 13 has a small peep-hole 24 in axial alinementwith the intersecting portions of said cross-wires 23. The hinges 15 and16 are sufficiently friction-tight to hold the sights 12 and 13 eitherin the elevated position disclosed by Fig. 1, or in closed position whenlowered into the respective frames 18 and 19. i

The stock 1 is provided at a point adjacent the tubular member 3 with acircular opening 27 extending transversely therethrough and closed atopposite sides with two circular glass or other transparent plates 29.Each plate 29 is held in position by oppositely-disposed rings 31 and32, removablysecured in the opening 27 by screws or other suitablefastening devices. Each ring 32 is provided with an indicator consistingof four wires 34 extending at 90 degrees to each other and connected attheir outer ends to the ring 32 and at their inner ends to a small ring36, through which a pintle 38 extends.

The pintle 38 has conical journals mounted in corresponding bearings 40,arranged therein in a horizontal plane irrespective of the angle atwhich the stock 1 is disposed. A transverse opening 47 is formed in theupper half of the dial to further reduce the weight of said upper half.

48 designates a vernier having graduations 49 at its forward end forsubdividing the outer row-of.graduations 42 on the dial 41.

Said Vernier 48 is slidably mounted in a frame 51 arranged within thestock 1 and provided at one end with a bearing 52, to receive the hub 53of a thumb nut 54: threaded upon a stem 56 projecting rearwardly fromthe Vernier 48. By rotating the thumb nut 54. in one direction theVernier 18 is adjusted into engagement with the periphery of the dial 11to lock the same in fixed relation to the stock 1 and also to bring thegraduations 49 into juxtaposition with the outer row of graduations 42on the dial. A transverse opening 59 is formed in the stock 1, so thataccess may be readily had to the thumb screw 54 to rotate the same.

The Vernier 4:8 is of. the same thickness as the dial 11 and has aforward pointed terminal 60 for engagement with the walls of a V-shapedgroove 61 in the periphery of the dial. I

The upper portion of the dial 41 is provided with a transverse wire 63in a small frame 64, located in the top of the stock 1 at a pointimmediately above the dial and provided with a glass plate 66, throughwhich the wire 63 and the mark 65 may be viewed. When the wire 63 isimmediately above the mark 65, it indicates that the stock 1 occupies ahorizontal position.

designates a scale divided, preferably,

into inches and fractions thereof and mounted in a recess in a lowercorner of the stock 1 upon a pivot 71 provided with a thumb nut 72. Onloosening the thumb screw 72 stock 1 as a ready reference in obtainingthe lengths of rafters. For instance, assuming a building to .be sixteenfeet wide and the roof thereof is to have a one-third pitch in oppositedirections from a centrally-disposed ridge. The length of the commonrafters is obtained by first placing the stock 1 in a horizontalposition. The scale 70 is then retained in such horizontal positionwhile the stock 1 is swung upwardly on the pivot 71, until the-verticalwire 3-4: registers with the one-third pitch indicated on the dial 41,The nut 72 is then tightened to lock the scale 70 and the stock 1 intheir respective positions and by laying them upon the side of a rafterthe angle at which the end thereof should be out is accuratelydetermined.- The length of the rafter is then ascertained byreferring tothe table 71,

wherein it is found to be 107.33 inches long..

The same principle applied to hip, valley and jack rafters.

1. In a device of the character described,

a stock having an opening extending transversely therethrough, arotatable dial arranged in said opening, an indicator to coact with saiddial, consisting of four wires arranged at angles of ninety degrees toeach other, inner and outer concentric rings to which said Wires arefixed, the outer ring being fixed to the stock, and glass platesdisposed at opposite sides of the dial to close the transverse openingin the stock.

2. In a device of the character described, a stock having an openingextending transversely therethrough, a rotatable dial arranged in saidopening and Weighted so that the weighted side will be downwardirrespective of the angle at which the stock is placed, a suitablesupport for said dial, an indicator fixedly-connected to the stock tocoact with said dial, a Vernier mounted in the stock and having agraduated scale that subdivides the smallest divisions on the scale ofthe dial, and meansfor adjusting said Vernier in and out of engagementwith the periphery of the dial.

3. In a device of the character described, a: stock having an openingextending transversely therethrough, a rotatable dial arranged in saidopening and weightedv at its lower side, a suitable support for saiddial, an indicator fixedly-connected to the stock to coact with thedial,a Vernier having a graduated scale that subdivides the-smallestdivisions of the scale on the dial, a frame in the stock in which theVernier is slidably mounted, a threaded stem projecting rearwardly fromthe Vernier, and a thumbscrew journaled in the frame and engaging thethreaded stem to adjust the Vernier 1n and out of engagement with thedial.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

BENJAMIN J. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

C. E. HERSCIIBERGER, O. M. MCDANIEL.

